While Joel Johnson of Boing Boing Gadgets was at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, he was shown this amazing picture of the McMaster school logo Ion-etched onto a human hair:

Dr. LaPierre’s group used a focus ion beam microscope (FIB) to shoot a beam of gallium ions at the surface of a human hair, carving atoms off the of the surface of the hair to etch these McMaster University logos. When not tattooing hair, they’ll use the FIB microscope to fabricate nanoscale devices.

Gareth Branwyn is a freelancer writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor for Boing Boing and WINK Books. And he has a new best-of writing collection and “lazy man’s memoir,” called Borg Like Me.

sam

that very impressive

dean

“I think it was manufactured. Look. Finest quality. Superior workmanship. There is a maker’s serial number 9906947-XB71. Interesting. Not fish. Snake scale.”